What Exactly Does it Mean When an Actor is "Classically Trained"
John Thompson 
I see this description a lot in actor profiles. Is it supposed to make us impressed?
| by Anonymous | reply 35 | October 4, 2018 10:52 PM |
Like when I see singers with bios that say they were "operatically trained"
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | October 4, 2018 2:04 PM |
Anyone can use the phrase, but look to see what program they went through (if it is Juilliard or Yale or CCM or Northwestern or any of the rigorous ones they will almost always say so). Also, without the degree name it may mean they went to class there but didn't graduate.
The phrase as a standalone just means they went to class somewhere and didn't just fall out of bed and start doing it.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | October 4, 2018 2:08 PM |
It usually means they went to RADA or somewhere like that.
It means they take themselves very seriously and have no sense of humour.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | October 4, 2018 2:12 PM |
They didn't give their hole to Bryan Singer for a part.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | October 4, 2018 2:18 PM |
It means they know how to do shakespeare which means they know how to actually hold and retain your interest for more than a few moments. Accents, physicality, other tricks of an actor's trade that helps to create and build and sustain a character no matter how outrageous.
In auditions you can usually tell the actors who have training vs the ones who just started acting for their webcam.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | October 4, 2018 2:51 PM |
R5 is right. They've definitely worked on Shakespeare, and usually also at least one of Chekhov, Ibsen or Strindberg, and possibly the ancient Greeks.
Additionally, that kind of course will put them through a variety of styles, such as musicals, farces, Pinter, maybe some movement-based theatre, a bit of film and a couple of cool new playwrights. They've also done improvisation work. They've learned how to work in a staged fight scene, they've done a lot of work on their voices and on accents, and they learn history of theatre so they understand all the influences on the modern stage and how to research for a role. And all this back to back for years, at an age where, if they were out auditioning, they'd be lucky to get any work at all.
I live near a well known drama school and I've noticed that only a very few can do Shakespeare really well at that age (one to two per year: often none), but that those actors can usually also do everything else, including sing. The great ones are nearly all going to come out of that bunch.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | October 4, 2018 3:34 PM |
Back in the day, the teacher could use a whip and a chair to tame the untrained actor.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | October 4, 2018 3:43 PM |
it means they went to school and got a degree in the craft - like juilliard or say, CMU.
holy fuck you cretins must live in a cave
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | October 4, 2018 3:47 PM |
It's an art, not a craft, r10, you cretin.
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | October 4, 2018 4:01 PM |
Maxine Peake as Hamlet at The Royal Exchange in Manchester UK - She became 'Classically Trained' after winning a Patricia Rothermere Scholarship to RADA.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 12 | October 4, 2018 4:42 PM |
It's means they didn't go to NYU
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | October 4, 2018 6:03 PM |
It means that, thankfully, they didn't learn The Method.
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | October 4, 2018 6:06 PM |
Oh, dear, r15. Decrying the "Method," at this point? Really?
Yeah, all those horrible "Method" actors out there who merely redefined acting for a generation or three. You know the ones--Brando, Fonda, Pacino, DeNiro, Burstyn, Geraldine Page, Bancroft...and that most terrible of "Method" actors--Stanislavski!
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | October 4, 2018 6:10 PM |
classically trained = rode the casting couch
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | October 4, 2018 6:12 PM |
Hey, Mr. Lawrence "I hef no son!" Olivier, I thought you preferred "acting" to "The Method"?
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | October 4, 2018 6:12 PM |
Yes, I think that all of those "Method" actors redefined acting, but I don't think for the better. Brando, Pacino, and DeNiro are especially overrated hacks, who managed a handful of good performances and a majority of shit.
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | October 4, 2018 6:16 PM |
This article from the end of last year explains why the good ones (in terms of training) are harder to come by.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 20 | October 4, 2018 6:17 PM |
No, it's not meant to impress rubes like you who don't even know what it means. It's meant to assure audiences and producers of shows that these actors have trained in Ibsen and Shakespeare and are not just relying on superficial American style acting but can actually plumb the depths of a text.
| by Anonymous | reply 21 | October 4, 2018 6:19 PM |
[quote]It's an art, not a craft, [R10], you cretin.—M, Yale School of Drama, Class of 1975
no, it's both
| by Anonymous | reply 22 | October 4, 2018 6:20 PM |
Well, r19, you're welcome to your insipid opinion. The world doesn't agree with you, and that includes Glenda Jackson, a classically trained actress from RADA, who has gone on record as saying that Brando changed what the medium of acting forever--and she did mean it i na good way. But I guess she's a hack, too.
| by Anonymous | reply 23 | October 4, 2018 6:20 PM |
"relying on superficial American style acting but can actually plumb the depths of a text..."
r21, I've seen some pretty bad acting from English actors. They've gone on a pass because of their accents. And don't ask most of them to attempt American accents. Yeesh.
| by Anonymous | reply 24 | October 4, 2018 6:23 PM |
R23 you and Glenda are entitled to your opinions, but I do not have to agree with you. In fact, the idea that everyone must be of the same opinion as you, exposes that your opinion as weak.
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | October 4, 2018 6:29 PM |
No, r25, my opinion isn't weak. For you to discount three actors by saying they're "hacks" but for a few performances and totally write off a lifetime of work of three people isn't just weak, it's lame. But, as I said, you're welcome to your opinion. Time has a tendency to prove such opinions as yours wrong, as in fact time already has. In the meantime, I'm happy to be in the Glenda camp as far as Brando goes. I think Glenda knows a few things about acting--more, I daresay, than you.
| by Anonymous | reply 26 | October 4, 2018 6:33 PM |
British. All British actors are classically trained according to the Hollywood PR machine and the British media even the hacks like Keira Knightley, Henry Cavill and Cara Develigne.
| by Anonymous | reply 27 | October 4, 2018 6:36 PM |
It's so clear that so many of you don't know what you're talking about, and think that your personal dislike of an actor means that actor has no talent or training.
| by Anonymous | reply 28 | October 4, 2018 6:49 PM |
They went to a good theater school and university where they learned and performed Shakespeare.
Yes, it’s more impressive than bimbos fresh off the bus in L.A. from Des Moines.
| by Anonymous | reply 29 | October 4, 2018 7:03 PM |
Don’t get me started on pompous twats that call it a “craft.” Method actors are another name for twats that think they are legend.
| by Anonymous | reply 30 | October 4, 2018 8:17 PM |
A standard English drama school offers a three year training course that involves many ‚‘technical‘ aspects of the job : physical training involves ballet, jazz and tap classes, sometimes work on posture with things like Alexander technique and stage fighting. Also physical style of acting like commedia dell‘arte, animal study. Singing and speech training, accent classes where you learn the phonetic alphabet which makes it easy to learn different accents. You learn theatre history and acting history. You perform songs and poems from different periods. You have improv classes and also study selected scenes from different plays . The final year is usually just play productions with outside directors and auditions training which is quite ruthless. For instance „don‘t wear tight trousers your legs aren‘t your best feature“ or „don‘t even bother with a speech for an upper class person, nobody will ever hire you for that“
Classically trainee in the British sense means preparing you to be a working actor making a living.
| by Anonymous | reply 31 | October 4, 2018 8:28 PM |
Thanks, r12. Maxine Peake is my fave rave; she leaves me speechless.
| by Anonymous | reply 32 | October 4, 2018 8:30 PM |
Maxine Peake as Twinkle in Dinnerladies
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 33 | October 4, 2018 10:10 PM |
They performed on stage dressed in a toga.
| by Anonymous | reply 34 | October 4, 2018 10:51 PM |
It means you're allowed to do the Bard and can't be shouted off the stage, OP.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 35 | October 4, 2018 10:52 PM |
